"The Acorn Cafe": Guidelines

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"Get an order of walnut walleroos, slip into a lavender jumpsuit, fill up on helium to get your voice right, and welcome to the Cafe!"
-Donny (poster at The Acorn Cafe)

Last revised: June 21, 2005

First, an official statement of policy -- Reactions to posts that are considered improper will be done though the board maintainers, so that we can handle it. Let me repeat - any reactions to posts, that in anyone's opinion constitute personal attacks, name-callings or anyone trying to set board policy without proper authority (or anything else that's deemed improper) will come through us, and not directly through the boards. Anyone can e-mail me(hopefully for the purpose of bringing my attention to it), but when it comes to a response or reprimand that is seen on these boards, it's my job to do it--period. Also, let it be clear that it's not my job to police e-mail firefights or other off-board problems--and no, that's not an invitation to bring them here. We're here to talk and have a good time, not to fuss.

I want you to have fun at The Acorn Cafe, but I ask that you please keep these rules in mind:

1.) NO personal attacks

Everyone has the right to their own opinion, whether it be the Rangers or anything else. What no one has the right to do is attack someone else at the Cafe, the Story Board or the Off-Topic Board for having them. This does not mean that discussions of controversial topics can't occur. Rather, it means that we expect people to not let these discussions get personal on the boards. This does not give anyone free license to voice their views in a way that disrupts the community, however. The old rule applies--if you can't say something nice, then don't say anything.

2.) NO sexually related discussion

First, meaning no requests, links to, or discussion of RR pornography/erotica. Discussion includes but is not limited to information about and/or references to Ranger erotica on the internet, on websites familiar to Cafe members, etc.

Second, whether related to the Rangers or otherwise, there will be no discussions on homosexuality, homosexual relationships, trans-gender relationships, alternative sexual lifestyles, etc. Such discussions are for mature content boards, not the Cafe.

There will be some exceptions, like genetics (as we've gotten into discussions as to whether Chip and Gadget could have children or not) or a protest against Ranger erotica, BUT, if you feel you must mention something in this area, please clear it with me first!

3.) NO profanity (cussing)

"The Acorn Cafe", like RR, is intended for all ages. To my knowledge, most of the posters to "The Acorn Cafe" are old enough to see profanity, but it still bothers people (including me), and it just sounds nasty. (And yes, I do consider "crap", "hell", "damn/dammit", "pissed off", and "[blank] sucks" to be profanity. I know those are mild, but they can be used in the wrong way.)

4.) No R-Rated Material on Rangerphile Sites. This refers to the content "buffer" we have here at the community, meaning that we prefer that you have a family-friendly site that everyone can enjoy; then you could link from that site to one with R-Rated material, provided you include a ratings warning. You should not directly link to that site from the Cafe.

4a. On the Use of Fanfiction.net. Fanfiction.net is a net-based website meant to be used by fanfic authors to distribute stories in all sorts of genres. It does allow R-Rated material, so it falls under the "no direct links" clause of Rule 4. However, it's not a Ranger site, so the standard procedure with it (and any other sites like it) will be to simply mention the story that's there and the site it's posted on without linking either to the site or to the story mentioned.

5. Standards of Good Taste for Picture/ Story Submissions As stated in the Board FAQ, pictures submitted to the Cafe should be done in good taste. This is an entirely subjective issue, and will be usually be decided based on the criteria of whether a picture is perceived to compliment or demean the Rangers' characters. Rules 2 and 4 already cover sexually-related material. In additon to that, in general, depictions of the Rangers smoking cigarettes, using drugs and consuming alcohol aren't deemed to be in good taste. Also considered distasteful are pictures that show the Rangers involved in graphic violence or portray them with guns or other deadly weapons while in a violent state of mind. Yes, there will be some leeway when it comes to specific pics, and there may be other criteria that force me to act. However, these criteria are the ones I will notice first, and if a picture is posted without running it by me first and it touches on one of these areas it may be deleted for breaching standards of good taste.

When it comes to stories, most of the same rules apply, and I do prefer that you clear a story with me if it's got something that's potentially controversial in it. If you post a story without checking with me and it contains material outside what I deem are the ratings limits, I reserve the right to delete it. In such cases, I will attempt to contact you when I do.

Important Reminders

Off topic posts are only allowed on the Cafe if they gradually become so. (i.e. Someone posts about RR fanfiction and the discussion somehow turns into one about word processing programs.) Or, try and relate your off-topic message to RR. (Changing your e-mail adress, letting us know you'll be out of town for a while/leaving, or page updates are perfectly acceptable, though!) Otherwise, I'd appreciate it if you took your post to the off-topic messageboard.
I will allow CAPS, but use sparingly. CAPs are often considered "shouting", and often offend/annoy people if used too much or inappropriately. I recommend using CAPS for emphasizing words.
If you post something, and get no replies right away, do not worry. It usually takes people some time to get around to replying. Sometimes you will get an answer within 5 minutes, sometimes it will be days later, sometimes you will not get a response at all.

If you violate any of these rules repeatedly, to a point where I think you're becoming a nuisance or a threat, be aware that I hold the right to remove you. A link to these rules are at the very top of the message board, so if you're ever unsure, please have a look at these guidelines, or e-mail me and I will be happy to help you! :)

Remember: I'm at indy8@charter.net

And that's it! Simple, eh?
-Indy Rangerphile,
Maintainer of "The Acorn Cafe" (A.K.A.: "The Defender of All Things Rangerish (D.A.R.T.)" ;)

Now with all that gibberish out of the way, go have fun!
Enter "The Acorn Cafe" (And check out The Cafe FAQ, too!)